Brazilians protest against bill that could lead to a pardon for Bolsonaro and allies

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SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazilians held protests in all 26 states and the Federal District on Sunday against a possible pardon for former President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies, who were convicted of attempting a coup.

Calls for demonstrations grew after the lower house on Tuesday passed a constitutional amendment that would make it harder to arrest or launch criminal proceedings against lawmakers. The measure now heads to the Senate.

The following day the lower house voted to fast-track a bill backed by right-wing opposition lawmakers that could grant amnesty to Bolsonaro, his closest allies and hundreds of supporters convicted for their roles in the January 2023 uprising.

Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and three months in prison on Sept. 11 for attempting to stay in power after losing a 2022 reelection bid. He is the first former president convicted of trying to overturn an election in Latin America’s largest economy. Bolsonaro denied any wrongdoing.

Some of Brazil’s most prominent artists helped organize and promote Sunday’s demonstrations.

Music legends Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque and Gilberto Gil — who defied censorship during the military dictatorship of the 1960s — reunited in Rio de Janeiro’s Copacabana neighborhood to protest.

“I was outraged by the news that many deputies voted in favor of a shielding law for themselves and their colleagues," Veloso told Brazilian news outlet UOL in an interview published Saturday. "This, along with a proposal for amnesty for the coup plotters. I think I identified with the majority of the Brazilian population, who do not want these things to go through.”

Anitta, a superstar born in Rio de Janeiro, also criticized the proposal in a video shared on Instagram. “The people are the ones who shape the country’s politics. We have the right and the duty to hold politicians accountable, after all, we vote and they work for the good of the population,” she said.

Dulce Oliveira, a 53-year-old teacher who attended the demonstration in Brasilia, echoed Anitta's indignation. “This protest is important because the people need to show them what we want, because they are there to represent our needs, not their own," she said.

Brazilian actor Wagner Moura attended the protest in Salvador, Bahia. Speaking to the crowd from the top of a truck, he said he was not willing to talk about the legislative proposals. Instead, he emphasized “this extraordinary moment in Brazilian democracy, which serves as an example to the entire world.”

Sunday’s protests were organized by artists and left-wing groups that have struggled to mobilize large crowds compared with the right. On Sept. 7, ahead of Bolsonaro’s Supreme Court trial, thousands of his supporters rallied in his defense.

Polls show the country remains deeply divided over Bolsonaro.

A majority supports his conviction and imprisonment, but a significant share of the population still backs him. According to a Datafolha poll released Sept. 16, 50% of respondents said Bolsonaro should be jailed, while 43% disagreed and 7% declined to answer. The survey interviewed 2,005 people nationwide and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

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Eduardo François contributed reporting from Brasilia.

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Follow the AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america